Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कोटयो ब्रह्महत्यानामगम्यागमकोटयः । सद्यः प्रलयमायांति महादेवेति कीर्तनात्

Transliteration

koṭayo brahmahatyānāmagamyāgamakoṭayaḥ | sadyaḥ pralayamāyāṃti mahādeveti kīrtanāt

Translation

梵殺（brahmahatyā）に等しいほどの億千万の大罪、さらに億千万に重なる言語を絶する恐るべき罪も、『マハーデーヴァ』と唱えることにより、ただちに滅び去る。

Word by Word

• कोटयः: crores; tens of millions
• कोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्रह्महत्यानाम्: of brahmin-slayings (sins)
• ब्रह्महत्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्मणः हत्या, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अगम्य: unapproachable; hard to cross
• अगम्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + गम् (धातु) → अगम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive/पुं-नपुं-स्त्री), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• आगम: approach/coming; access
• आगम: Sambandha (Part of compound/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (in compound context)

• कोटयः: crores
• कोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पूर्वोक्त-कोटयः इति पुनरुक्ति

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (Adverb of time)

• प्रलयम्: destruction; dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयान्ति: come; meet with
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• महादेव: ‘Mahādeva’
• महादेव: Karma (Quoted utterance/object of ‘kīrtana’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: महा + देव, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; इति-पूर्वपदेन उद्धृत-शब्द

• इति: thus/‘…’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (Quotative particle)

• कीर्तनात्: from/through chanting
• कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devāḥ (the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dark, smoky forms symbolizing sins dissolve instantly as a radiant ‘Mahādeva’ mantra appears; a devotee chants before a liṅga, light washing away shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Brahmahatyā (mahāpātaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine Name is celebrated as supremely purifying, capable of dissolving even the heaviest karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis is on spiritual purification via Śiva’s Name; the tīrtha framework suggests pilgrimage merit is amplified by nāma-japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chanting ‘Mahādeva’ (nāma-kīrtana/japa) is presented as a powerful prāyaścitta (atonement).